


A Little Bit Longer

by torigates



Category: Bones (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-11
Updated: 2013-11-11
Packaged: 2018-01-01 03:42:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1039934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/torigates/pseuds/torigates
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Okay,” Booth said drawing the word out. “I want you to come somewhere with me,” he admitted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Little Bit Longer

 

  
Booth showed up in her office one Saturday.

“What are you doing here?” she asked. “I didn’t get a call about a case.” She looked at him and realised there was no way he was here on business. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt as opposed the suit and tie he usually wore for work.

“I’m not here about a case,” he told her. Booth was smiling and rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.

“If we don’t have a case, then why are you here?” she asked.

Booth made a face. “Can’t a guy visit his partner on a Saturday afternoon for no reason?” he asked her.

Brennan glared. “No. You always have an ulterior motive, Booth.”

Booth put on a mock offended face. “I do not always have an ulterior motive.”

Brennan turned back to her work. “Yes, you do. You either want me to go somewhere with you or do something with you or eat something with you, or do something for you.”

“Well, that’s not why I’m here now,” Booth said.

“It’s not?” Brennan said, glancing up at him. He was leaning against her door frame.

“Okay,” Booth said drawing the word out. “I want you to come somewhere with me,” he admitted.

“I thought so,” she said.

“But it’s not for me,” he protested. “I want to show you something. You’ll love it. I promise.”

“I don’t think so, Booth,” she said. “I have a lot to do here.”

Booth sighed and walked the rest of the way into her office, collapsing onto her couch. “Come on, Bones. It’s a Saturday. Besides, when have I ever steered you wrong?”

“Plenty of times,” Brennan said, still not looking up from her computer. “We don’t share any common interests, Booth. I doubt I’d be entertained.”

Booth put a hand over his heart. “That hurts, Bones. I promise you’re going to love this. Trust me,” he said.

“It has nothing to do with trust, Booth. I just have a lot of work to do.”

“Your work can wait,” Booth said standing up. “What I want to show you can’t. No more arguing, Bones. Let’s go.”

Brennan opened her mouth to protest further, but Booth walked over to her desk and put his hands under her elbows and lifted her to her feet.

“No more arguing,” he said, pulling her along behind him.

“Booth!” she exclaimed.

“I mean it, Bones,” he said shushing her.

Booth wouldn’t answer any of her questions the entire time they walked down to his car, and he wouldn’t tell her where they were going once they were driving either.

“This is ridiculous, Booth. Just tell me where you’re taking me.”

“Nope. Not telling, Bones. That defeats the purpose of the whole ‘surprise’ thing.”

Brennan huffed but didn’t say anything else.

They drove in silence for twenty minutes, until Booth turned into a long driveway, with a large house at the end.

“Where are we?” she asked.

Booth didn’t answer. He jumped out of the car and ran around to open her door.

“Why won’t you tell me?”

“Bones,” Booth hissed at her, “Would you please relax? I promised you’d like it and you will.”

Brennan huffed. “I just don’t understand the need for secrecy, Booth.”

“You’ll see in a minute,” he said holding on to her elbow and guiding her along with him.

Brennan jerked her elbow out of Booth’s grasp and was about to demand an explanation, when a young man wearing jeans and a plaid shirt came out of the house.

“Booth,” he said in greeting.

“Hey, Rick,” Booth said. “This is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan. Bones, this is Rick,” he told her.

Brennan looked back and forth between the two men, completely confused. She turned towards Booth to force him to explain himself.

“Well,” Rick said interrupting her thoughts. “Come around back.”

“No!” Brennan said.

Both men turned towards her. “No?” Booth echoed.

“I’m not going anywhere until you explain to me what’s going on,” she said firmly.

“Bones,” Booth hissed. “Relax, will you? You’ll find out in a minute.”

Rick looked uncomfortable, glancing nervously at both of them silently.

“Fine,” Brennan huffed.

“Great,” Booth said grinning.

Rick led them around the back of the house, and suddenly Brennan found herself facing a pen with five black Labrador puppies scrambling over one another and wrestling.

“Take your time,” Rick said. “I’ll be inside.” He turned and walked back towards the house.

She turned to Booth. “What’s this?”

“They’re puppies, Bones,” he told her patiently.

“I can see that, Booth. Why did you bring me here?”

Booth put his hands into his pockets. “One of these little guys is for you,” he said. “I mean, if you want one.”

“What?” she asked flabbergasted.

“I know it’s not the same as Ripley, and there’s no obligation, and you said you could get a dog walker, and sitter, or get Max to help you, and I just thought if you still wanted a dog you should be able to get one.”

Brennan stared at Booth, speechless. Suddenly, she lunged forward and hugged him. Booth grunted in surprise, but quickly hugged her back. “Thank you,” she told him. He squeezed her tighter.

They stood silently hugging for a long moment before Brennan pulled back.

Booth coughed. “Right,” he said. “So, one of these little guys can be yours, if you still want.”

Brennan crouched down next to the pen, and immediately five little puppies came up and pressed their noses against the fencing, fighting for attention.

Booth laughed. “I think they like you, Bones.”

Brennan glanced back at him. He was standing over her, hands back in his pockets, smiling down at her and the puppies. Brennan smiled back up at him.

“Thank you, Booth,” she said again.

“You’re welcome, Bones,” he told her.

Brennan stepped into the pen, and was tackled by a swarm of puppies. She heard Booth laughing somewhere behind her, and couldn’t help but laugh too. A few of the dogs began enthusiastically licking her face.

After what felt like a long time, Booth stepped in a pried the puppies off her face. Brennan got to her feet, and lifted one of them up in her arms. “How would you like to come home with me?” she asked.

The dog barked happily, and if Brennan believed animals were able to understand, she would have taken that to mean yes.

“How did you know about this?” Brennan asked later when they were in the car on their way back to the Jeffersonian. She had made arrangements with Rick to pick up Phalanges later that week.

(“You can’t name your dog Phalanges,” Booth said.

“Why not?” Brennan asked. “I’m going to call him Phil.”

“Because!” Booth protested. “Dogs should be named Spot, or Spike, or Fido. Or Skipper.”

“Skipper?” Brennan repeated.

“Something normal!” Booth said.

“I like Phil,” Brennan said.

Booth shook his head, but didn’t say anything else.)

“Know about Rick?” Booth clairified.

“Yes,” Brennan said. “Everything. How did you know to do this?”

“I helped him out recently on a case,” Booth said. “And as for knowing to do this, I’ve told you before, Bones, I know you.”

“What case? I don’t remember working with him,” Brennan said ignoring the second half of his explanation.

“We don’t work together on every single case, Bones,” Booth said.

“I know that, Booth,” Brennan said looking over at him. “You just normally tell me about your cases.”

Booth kept his eyes on the road. “I know how upset you were over Ripley,” he paused. “I just wanted to do something nice, Bones.”

Brennan smiled. “Thank you, Booth.”

“Don’t mention it,” Booth said eyes still on the road.

Brennan reached over and put her hand on his arm. “I mean it, Booth. Thank you.”

He turned and smiled at her. “If you really wanted to thank me you wouldn’t name your your dog Phalanges,” Booth said. Brennan glared at him but didn’t say anything. “You’re welcome,” Booth said after a moment.

They were silent for several moments.

“You realise this means you’ll have to help me walk him,” she told him.

The corner of Booth’s mouth turned up. “It does, does it?” Booth asked.

“Yes,” she told him.

“I’m sure we can work something out, Bones.”

She nodded. “Good.”


End file.
